Hi Doug
No keep-out areas is a bit difficult, the board presumably has to 
connect to something, but what I have asked for (but not gotten) is that 
connectors have clear areas around them so that the measurement 
tolerance on the coated area can be high, and that the connectors be 
easily masked - preferably something we could put a rubber boot on, next 
best is easily taped to cover pins and mating area, worst are open body 
connectors.

Component height restrictions will depend on how versitile your coating 
machine is - the one I had was a 4.5 axis machine (x-y-z, theta, and 
nozzle tilt) and so for us height issues were a programming problem - 
not so much a running problem.

I would also add to the wish list a coating material that is agreeable 
with an automated process.  At a previous employer we had a high volume 
product that was coated - so an automatic candidate for automated 
spraying.  But the customer specified a coating material that had a 4 
hour pot life, after which we had to flush the machine with toluene or 
it would seize up and need a full overhaul.  With an in-house project 
I'm sure you have more control over that factor.

regards,

Graham Collins
Senior Process Engineer
Sunsel Systems
(902) 444-7867 ext 211

On 5/9/2013 9:40 AM, Douglas Pauls wrote:
> Good morning all,
>
> Another conformal coating related question.  What, from an assembly point
> of view, would you tell a board designer are good design practices to make
> an assembly coatable from an automated standpoint.
>
> I think we would all agree that having an assembly with no keep out zones
> and a constant height for components to be the ideal.  The more holes we
> poke in the film and the farther we get from the ideal, the less we can
> automate coating.
>
> So, what would you tell a designer to do?
>
> Or, to put the shoe on the other hand, what kinds of things should they
> NOT do, or bad practices to avoid?
>
> And, yes, I know It Depends.
>
> Doug Pauls
>
>
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